Southgate argues that qualification should be celebrated, rather than taken for granted, and recalls having to support Scotland at the 1978 tickertape World Cup in Argentina because England failed to qualify.

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But Gareth Southgate knows the real hard work starts at the major tournament

But it is difficult to judge his first 12 months when England’s competitive matches have all been against poor-to-average opposition.

Judgment, as always, comes at a tournament. And so much will depend on which players earn game-time in the most competitive league on Earth.

Gareth Southgate handed Harry Winks a England call-up after a number of injuries

Southgate said: “Our young players have proved themselves to be as good as others around the world but there’s a danger that you sign players from a different country because they have had first-team experiences.

“It’s hard for managers. The tendency is to go with players with first-team experience because you have evidence of how they will react.

“But Harry Winks is a great example — from Pochettino it’s, ‘I believe in you’ and ‘I believe you can do the job’.”

Winks is the kind of creative central midfielder Southgate is crying out for.

Should he have a sustained run in the Spurs side, he will go to Russia.

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Harry Kane will be vital for Gareth Southgate's England campaign

And while Southgate is often caricatured as a Mr Nice Guy and a prototype FA ‘safe pair of hands’, he is not soft on his players.

At last week’s squad announcement, he readily admitted that some members of his squad were not worthy of their ­places, effectively stating that he was a beggar who could not be choosy.

Yesterday a TV reporter asked him exactly what he meant, as if he might have been taken out of context.

“I meant pretty much exactly what I said,” replied Southgate.

“You want strong competition for places and a few guys aren’t playing regularly for their clubs.

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Gareth Southgate is ready to ditch his Mr Nice Guy image

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Dele Alli will miss the Slovenia clash through suspension

“My job is not to try to keep them happy but to challenge them and create an environment that allows them to be successful.

“I hope to have the dilemma of picking 23 for the World Cup. If that’s 23 from 38, there are going to be some difficult calls to make. Managers don’t necessarily select teams. Players do with the form they are in.”

More likely than not, England will win tonight and Southgate will enjoy some brief celebrations of a job well done.

But then the hard part will start — and the hardest part for the England manager is that he depends on the ­boldness of other bosses.